20 July 2012
There has been a move away from hospital-based support for
people with learning disabilities. In 1980 6,500 people were in
hospital care. In 1998 there were still 2,450. Today, excluding
forensic beds, there are fewer than 240 people in acute and longer
stay assessment and treatment beds.
This year we visited people with learning disabilities who are
in assessment and treatment beds. Overall, we were pleased with
what we found, but there were some concerns.
We were pleased to find that most people had an annual health
check, although it would be better if it was a learning disability
specific check. We were worried that in a few cases hospitals did
not have proper consent for treatment. This needs to be
addressed.
People had a care plan that looked at their physical, mental and
behavioural needs and were engaged in meaningful activities.
However, some care plans did not meet the person's social needs. In
some cases, this may have been related to resources. Some hospitals
cancelled activities because they did not have enough money,
transport or staff.
The physical state of some wards was a concern. Some
buildings and gardens were not well kept. Some hospitals did not
have a kitchen or laundry that people could use.
We were please to see that most people were involved in
discussions about their care and that some people were asked for
their views on the service. There were some gaps though- we would
like to see this applied to everyone.
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